23-year-old Dutch winger Xavi Simons, from Tottenham Hotspur, has suffered a season-ending knee injury that will force him to miss World Cup with the Netherlands, during a 1-0 win for Tottenham against Wolves, in a collision with Hugo Bueno. Simons was stretchered from the match, with reports that he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, that will have him side-lined for months.
Simons, who joined Tottenham in August 2025 after brief stints in Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain, and PSV, has played for the Netherlands since the under-15 teams, debuting for the senior team in 2023, and reached the UEFA Euro semi-finals in 2024, scoring a goal in the semi-final against England.
The injury has left him heartbroken as he misses World Cup: "They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I'm just trying to process it. Honestly, I'm heartbroken. None of it makes sense", Simons said on social media. "All I've wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me... along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer... just gone. It'll take time to find peace with this, but I'll continue to be the best team-mate I can be."
Tottenham's victory against already relegated Wolves was their first league win in 2026, but not enough to put them out of the relegation zone: they have 34 points, and are battling with West Ham (36 points) and Nottingham Forest (39 points) to escape the last relegation slot, after Wolves and Burnley confirmed relegation.